6mm would be better, but it really depends on the voltage and current on the run.
Solar panels and battery - any real world recommendations?
- Thread starter GinG
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Unless you really really want PW3s there are far cheaper alternatives out there. You could probably get similar size battery storage and fully panel out the garage and still come away with spare change from that £26k.
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I spent around 10k 3 years ago but my DD has dropped from £250+ per month to £50-75 per month since (some months I set it to £10 over the summer.) So take that into consideration and the fact my balance is +£300 in my energy account then you can easily work out the benefit.
For me it was more about reducing my monthly spend as psychologically it feels great to spend less per month. My second priority was to reduce my need on the grid. Whilst we don't have a sauna or a swimming pool we use a fair amount as a family and it's good to know that we're not having to worry as much as we did. We can also ride the bumps in the energy market, reduce gas usage (immersion heater and electric heaters) etc...
However if you're really savvy you can play the game and export at peak times and really start to make it profitable like many people do here.
Ideally I'd want to double my battery size and add another array of panels but that would stretch the ROI period but for me that's less important (but still definitely considered).
For me it was more about reducing my monthly spend as psychologically it feels great to spend less per month. My second priority was to reduce my need on the grid. Whilst we don't have a sauna or a swimming pool we use a fair amount as a family and it's good to know that we're not having to worry as much as we did. We can also ride the bumps in the energy market, reduce gas usage (immersion heater and electric heaters) etc...
However if you're really savvy you can play the game and export at peak times and really start to make it profitable like many people do here.
Ideally I'd want to double my battery size and add another array of panels but that would stretch the ROI period but for me that's less important (but still definitely considered).
Hmmmm, now I can track my export and how much the house is consuming, it's a bit more than I thought.
I now wondering if swapping my FiT export to Octopus is the best thing to do.
Last few days we've generated around 22kwh, but only exported 7kwh ish.
I haven't been fully charging the battery overnight, usually 80% currently, so only been putting 20% in solar, which is 2kwh.
Charging the battery to 100% and running exclusively off that won't do us the day and obviously don't want to pull off the grid.
Don't know whether to wait a year and get the data or just go for it.....?
I now wondering if swapping my FiT export to Octopus is the best thing to do.
Last few days we've generated around 22kwh, but only exported 7kwh ish.
I haven't been fully charging the battery overnight, usually 80% currently, so only been putting 20% in solar, which is 2kwh.
Charging the battery to 100% and running exclusively off that won't do us the day and obviously don't want to pull off the grid.
Don't know whether to wait a year and get the data or just go for it.....?
You will use your solar before any excess is exported, only if there is no solar will the battery fill in the electric demand.
@rodders
So on deemed export you'd get paid for 11 kWh at about 5p, so 55p.
If you exported 7 kWh on Octopus Outgoing at 15p a kWh that would be £1.05.
If you fully charge the battery overnight on cheap rate, then more will get exported, the house will use solar when there is enough, excess is exported, come evening you use the battery.
It is tricky, as it all alters through out the year.
How much did you generate last year? Work out what half of that pays on the FITS export payment, and you'd only roughly need to export a third of what you generate to match it.
My FITS export payments for my 4kW system was worth about £100 a year, yours must be about the same, you'd need to export around 650 kWh to earn that at 15p.
So on deemed export you'd get paid for 11 kWh at about 5p, so 55p.
If you exported 7 kWh on Octopus Outgoing at 15p a kWh that would be £1.05.
If you fully charge the battery overnight on cheap rate, then more will get exported, the house will use solar when there is enough, excess is exported, come evening you use the battery.
It is tricky, as it all alters through out the year.
How much did you generate last year? Work out what half of that pays on the FITS export payment, and you'd only roughly need to export a third of what you generate to match it.
My FITS export payments for my 4kW system was worth about £100 a year, yours must be about the same, you'd need to export around 650 kWh to earn that at 15p.
on average £120 on the current FiT export payments.
The last 2 years my solars been broke, lol, but its around 4000kwh normally, so @ the current 7p for export that's £140
Its just knowing how much I will now export with the battery in use, its pure guesswork at the moment.
The last 2 years my solars been broke, lol, but its around 4000kwh normally, so @ the current 7p for export that's £140
Its just knowing how much I will now export with the battery in use, its pure guesswork at the moment.
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2024 has been the first complete year, on standard tariff we used to spend ~£150 a month on electricity (used 13-17kwh depending on if washing machine/tumble dryer was used) and using standard flat rate prices this is what I got for 2024, the difference in price comes from being able to have both solar and battery (13.5 All In One)
2024 Standard rate (Not 100% accurate but close as its adjusted if SC/Rate changed) = £1,346.83
2024 Actual cost (Switching between Flux + Agile, something I wouldn't do without battery I don't think) = £565.50
2024 Export = £320.93
2024 Total Bill = £244.57
Just over £1100 saving, would love to get another 8 500w panels up in back garden and go full electric in home, Gas cost us £710 last year.
2024 Standard rate (Not 100% accurate but close as its adjusted if SC/Rate changed) = £1,346.83
2024 Actual cost (Switching between Flux + Agile, something I wouldn't do without battery I don't think) = £565.50
2024 Export = £320.93
2024 Total Bill = £244.57
Just over £1100 saving, would love to get another 8 500w panels up in back garden and go full electric in home, Gas cost us £710 last year.
Give Octopus a ring now, it will take a few weeks to sort out and get an appointment. Got to save that standing charge
They're apparently removing mine during the install?! I got an email asking me if I wanted them to do it.Give Octopus a ring now, it will take a few weeks to sort out and get an appointment. Got to save that standing charge
Ron-Ski isn't using Octopus to install his heat pump. But yes, they did mine during install also.
Soldato
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I saw this ad. No idea about the company you'd have to research that but on face value pretty much £7k cheaper than your quote. Add on a few extra panels to take you up to 13kw, maybe some longer cable runs etc and you're still thousands better off I'd have thought.
I havent really had anythat have come close to their initial quotes once they do the survey. The cheapest quote I had was £20k which was some gypsies that have taken up solar installs but I didn't fancy them. The rest of the quotes without surveys are coming in at £22-23K subject to survey so dont include the long runs etc. Thank you for the headsup though.
I mean you could pay someone to dig trenches for a lot cheaper than £7k. Or do it yourself
It not though is it, the quote is for a further 11 panels on top and that 1k gone in panels alone.I mean you could pay someone to dig trenches for a lot cheaper than £7k. Or do it yourself
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